Table for change in tense of reported speech for all TENSES.

TENSE CHANGE - IN - INDIRECT SPEECH

Present simple tense into Past simple
Present Continuous tense into Past continuous
Present Perfect tense into Pas perfect
Present Perfect Continuous into Past perfect continuous
Past simple into Past Perfect
Past Continuous into Past Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect into Past Perfect
Future simple, will into would
Future Continuous, will be into would be
Future Perfect, will have into would have

Examples.

DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH

PRESENT TENSE
PRESENT SIMPLE changes into PAST SIMPLE
He said, I write a letter
He said that he wrote a letter.

She said, he goes to school daily

He said that she went to school daily.

They said, we love our country

They said that they loved their country
He said that he did not like computer.
He said, he does not like computer

PRESENT CONTINUOUS changes into PAST CONTINUOUS

He said, he is listening to the music He said that he was listening to the music.

She said, I am washing my clothes She said that she was washing her clothes.

They said, we are enjoying the weather They said that they were not enjoying the
weather.
I said, it is raining
She said, I am not laughing She said that she was not laughing.

PRESENT PERFECT changes into PAST PERFECT

She said, he has finished his work
She said that he had finished his work.

He said, I have started a job

He said that he had started a job.

I said, she have eaten the meal

I said that she had eaten the meal.
They said that they had not gone to New York.
They said, we have not gone to New York.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS changes into PAST PERFECT

CONTINUOUS
He said that he had been studying since 3
He said, I have been studying since 3 Oclock
Oclock.

She said, It has been raining for three days.

She said that it had been raining for three days.

I said, She has been working in this office since

I said that she had been working in this office
2007
since 2007.

PAST TENSE
PAST SIMPLE changes into PAST PERFECT
He said to me, you answered correctly He said to me that I had answered correctly.

John said, they went to cinema John said that they had gone to cinema.

He said, I made a table He said that he had made a table.

She said, I didnt buy a car She said that she had not bought a car.

PAST CONTINUOUS changes into PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

They said, we were enjoying the weather They said that they had been enjoying.

He said to me, I was waiting for you He said to me that he had been waiting for me.
I said that it had been raining.
I said, It was raining
She said, I was not laughing She said that she not been laughing.

PAST PERFECT changes into PAST PERFECT (tense does not change)

She said, She had visited a doctor She said that she had visited a doctor.

He said, I had started a business He said that he had started a business.

I said, she had eaten the meal I said that she had eaten the meal.

They said, we had not gone to New York. They said they had not gone to New York.

FUTURE TENSE
FUTURE SIMPLE TENSE
WILL changes into WOULD
He said, I will study the book
He said that he would study the book.

She said, I will buy a computer

She said that she would buy a computer.

They said to me, we will send you gifts

They said to me that they would send me gifts.
I said that I would not take the exam.
I said, I will not take the exam

FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE

WILL BE changes into WOULD BE
I said to him that I would be waiting for him.
I said to him, I will be waiting for him

She said that she would be shifting to a new

She said, I will be shifting to new home
home.

He said, I will be working hard

He said that he would be working hard.

He said, he will not be flying kite

She said that he would not be flying kites.

FUTURE PERFECT TENSE

WILL HAVE changes into WOULD HAVE
He said, I will have finished the work He said that he would have finished the work.

She said, they will have passed the She said that they would have passed the
examination examination.

He said, I will have gone He said that he would have gone.

Note: The tense of reported speech may not change if reported speech is a universal truth though its
reporting verb belongs to past tense.

Examples.
 Direct speech: He said, Mathematics is a science
Indirect Speech: He said that mathematics is a science.

Direct speech: He said, Sun rises in east

Indirect Speech: He said that sun rises in east. (Tense didnt change because reported speech
is a universal truth though its reporting verb belongs to past tense)